


Dinner Confessions

by sjhw_tolerance (mscorkill)



Series: Confessions [2]
Category: Sanctuary (TV), Stargate SG-1
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-04-23
Updated: 2012-04-23
Packaged: 2017-11-04 04:03:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,013
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/389538
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mscorkill/pseuds/sjhw_tolerance
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jack and Sam go out to dinner.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Dinner Confessions

**Author's Note:**

> I've been fairly overwhelmed by the response to Elevator Confessions. Who knew Jack and Helen would be so popular?  
> As almost requested by andveryginger, with input from thothmes, I bring you part two.
> 
> Originally posted November 2009.

DINNER CONFESSIONS

Sam Carter tried not to look too obvious as she nervously paced in front of the elevators on Level Twenty-five. It was almost 1900 on a Friday and the base had settled into weekend mode. She knew—because she’d checked the schedule—that there were no teams departing or returning for the next seventy-two hours. Not a long period of time in the general scheme of things but long for the SGC. And maybe long enough for whatever happened tonight to have a chance.

She paused in her pacing when she heard footsteps approaching, quickly hiding her dismay when she saw it was only Siler. He nodded briefly and she gave him a quick smile as he continued on past. She broke down and looked at her watch again, the hands seemed to mock her. He wasn’t really late—yet. Unable to stop, she once more started pacing, her thoughts chasing non-stop circles in her head. She wasn’t sure why she was so nervous, they’d settled into a comfortable sort of truce since her father’s death and the almost simultaneous dissolution of both their respective relationships.

It had seemed like the time was finally right for them, even with his position as head of the SGC. But as the days turned into weeks, their relationship remained the same—seemingly stuck in some sort of weird stasis where the status quo reigned. Until today. 

“Ready?”

Sam whirled around, how had she not heard him? Jack flashed her a quick smile and pushed the elevator button. He was dressed casually, in the same khakis, dark shirt and jacket he’d had on when she and Siler had rescued him from the stuck elevator. But then, he always looked good to her. 

“Sorry I’m late,” he added. “I’ve made reservations for eight, so we should have plenty of time.”

She didn’t ask where, still somewhat bemused by his sudden appearance and the imminent reality of what, in any other reality, would be considered a date. Only this was her reality and the man standing next to her was, if not entirely forbidden, at least off-limits. Get over it, her inner voice instructed firmly. Whatever his title, he’s still just Jack. 

“No problem,” she replied. “I haven’t been waiting long.” No…only her whole life. She sighed softly. The elevator chimed and she asked, “Where are we going?” For once she wasn’t wearing jeans, but her brown corduroy slacks and cream colored sweater were still just casual attire at best.

“The Blue Star,” he answered, gesturing for her to enter the elevator.

“Wow…nice.” She’d heard of the upscale restaurant but had never been there; her brow creased as she tried to remember what she’d heard and if it seemed the kind of place where casual would be accepted attire on a Friday night. 

“Don’t worry,” Jack’s amused sounding voice interrupted her thoughts. “You look fine.”

She glared mildly at him and he grinned at her, the slightly lopsided smile guaranteed to melt her insides—which it did. The doors slid shut and as the elevator started smoothly ascending, she started to relax. It’s just Jack, she reminded herself. Nothing to be worried about, no surprises…except the one where he’s invited you to dinner and you accepted.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The silent atmosphere in the elevator bordered on tense and he really couldn’t put it all on Sam, he ruefully acknowledged. He was just as nervous about their impending dinner date as she appeared to be. So it was with some relief when the elevator door opened, depositing them on Level Fifteen; Jack hoped the sooner they got off the mountain the sooner they both relaxed.

“Hold the door!” he shouted when they emerged from their elevator and he just caught a glimpse of someone disappearing into one of the elevators that would take them to the surface. Grabbing Sam’s hand, a move which surprised her, given the look on her face, he strode quickly into the still open elevator. And came face to face with her. 

Doctor Helen Magnus smiled and released the door open button. “General O’Neill,” she commented as the door slid shut. “One wonders what vagaries of the universe have brought us together again in this particular elevator?”

Jack glanced at the control panel—elevator 3-A. “One does wonder,” he muttered. When he felt Sam try to tug her hand free, he ignored her and tightened his grip. “Have a good day with Roland?”

“Roland is an ass, a particularly brilliant and inventive ass, but an ass none-the-less.” 

He couldn’t help but smile at the precise pronunciation, especially when she called the man an ass. Jack had the feeling that Helen Magnus didn’t suffer fools and he made a mental note to make some discreet inquiries regarding ‘Roland’. “Finished for the day then?”

“Yes, my business here is finished.” Magnus looked from him, to Sam and their joined hands, and then back at him. “And yourself? Ready for the weekend? Or do generals in charge of deep space telemetry get the weekends off?”

“Oh, we manage to drag ourselves away every now and then,” he drawled.

Magnus smiled and then surprised him by holding out her hand to Sam. Jack was forced to let go of Sam’s hand so she could shake hands with the dark haired woman.

“We’re being terribly rude. I’m Doctor Helen Magnus.”

“Colonel Samantha Carter.”

Magnus’ eyes flicked briefly to his, her expression speculative, before she once more spoke to Sam. “I take it you work in deep space telemetry as well—at least when you’re not repairing elevators?”

Sam’s eyes narrowed slightly, but she answered evenly enough. “Yes, we’ve just spent the day recalibrating the sensor that went off line earlier, causing the power surge that affected the elevator.”

“Ah yes, we wouldn’t want any interruptions in the…telemetry.”

Jack felt Sam bristle slightly at Magnus’ comment. “Yes well,” he quickly said. “Any gap in the system could have disastrous consequences.”

Magnus smiled. “And we certainly can’t have that.”

“No, we can’t,” Sam added. “What did you say again that you do, Doctor Magnus?”

“I don’t believe I said, but as General O’Neill has undoubtedly told you, I’m a medical doctor, specializing in abnormal psychology.”

“And you’re here at NORAD for?”

“Consultation.”

Jack had never been so glad to hear the elevator chime as he was when they finally arrived at the surface, putting an end to a conversation that was becoming more bizarre and suspicious with each passing moment. “Doctor Magnus,” he said briskly, almost pushing Sam out the opening elevator door. “It’s been a pleasure.”

“Likewise, General,” she replied, exiting more slowly. “Colonel Carter,” she acknowledged Sam before once more looking directly at him with her way too discerning gray eyes. “It would appear your circumstances have changed. Enjoy your evening.”

“Oh, we will,” Jack answered quickly before Sam could, tacitly answering the question Magnus hadn’t asked. With a nod to Magnus—who then had the nerve to wink at him—he followed after Sam, urging her along with a hand pressed lightly to the small of her back. He could hear the faint tap of Magnus’ heels on the cement floor behind them as he and Sam negotiated the final checkpoint and were finally free of the mountain. 

The sleek black limo was once more parked at the front entrance, its engine running and the driver standing at the ready. With his hand still at the small of her back, Jack guided Sam around the limo and to his truck, helping her inside before going to the driver’s side. He looked back towards the entrance and watched briefly as Magnus got into the limo, disappearing behind the tinted windows. He got into the truck and saw that Sam was looking towards the limo, which slowly drove by on its way out of the parking lot. 

“I wonder what she was really doing here.”

“Probably something just as highly classified as deep space telemetry,” he commented dryly, putting the truck into reverse and smoothly backing out. Shifting into drive, he felt himself start to relax as they finally drove away, hopefully leaving all the subterfuge and lies behind.

“I don’t know…there’s something odd about her.”

Jack grimaced. While he might be inclined to agree with Sam, he really didn’t want to spend the evening speculating about Doctor Helen Magnus, whoever she was. “Sam,” he said, reaching out with his right hand and gently squeezing her knee before returning it to the steering wheel. “Let’s just leave the SGC and the Air Force behind for tonight, okay?”

Hazarding a quick look at her face, he was relieved to see her expression soften and her eyes fill with promise. “No General and Colonel? Just Jack and Sam?”

“Just Jack and Sam.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Feeling remarkably mellow after a meal of delicious Atlantic salmon and two glasses of a particularly fine Sauvignon Blanc, Sam wondered why she had ever been nervous about having dinner with him. She didn’t know how he’d done it, but somehow they were in a secluded private room at the busy restaurant; maybe his stars had helped or maybe the easy familiarity present in his interactions with the owner were the reason. Whatever it was, she found it easier than she expected to shed the formality of their work relationship and ease into Sam and Jack.

“Half?” Jack’s knife hovered over the brownie on their dessert plate.

“Sure.” She watched as he carefully cut the gooey and undoubtedly sinfully rich brownie in half. His long fingers manipulated the knife expertly and when her mouth started to water she didn’t know if it was in anticipation of the brownie or the touch of his hand.

“Here.” He set the knife down and picked up the brownie bit, holding it out to her. 

Maybe it was the wine, maybe it was the atmosphere, or maybe it was the look of indulgence in his eyes that motivated her next action. Whatever it was, the flash of desire in his eyes was worth it when she leaned across the table towards him and opened her mouth. He didn’t waver, holding the chocolate morsel steady while her teeth closed around it, her lips brushing briefly against his finger tips. The chocolate tasted heavenly but as good as it was, it couldn’t compare to heat she seen in Jack’s eyes.

The evening had been good, but she was still no closer to knowing his reasons for asking her to dinner than she had been when he’d first issued the invitation. And suddenly she needed to know, before she sank any deeper. “Sir…Jack,” she amended. “What are we doing here?”

“Having dessert?”

She, who could normally read him so well, discovered she was at a loss with Jack the man. “If it was just about dessert, we’d be in the dining hall on base.”

“You’re right,” he said, sitting back in his chair. “It’s about us. Hell,” he snorted, “it’s always been about us.”

“Why now?” she asked, genuinely confused. She could guess…they’d both been through some fairly stressful events during the past year, but that was really nothing new. 

“Circumstances change.”

He could be so exasperating. “From where I’m sitting they look the same.”

“Okay…maybe it’s more that they can change.”

“When?”

“I got a call from Hammond a couple of weeks ago. I’ve been offered a promotion.”

She felt a flash of terror followed by an equally terrifying flash of hope. “You’d leave the SGC?” 

“Under the right circumstances….”

“Wow.” He’d reduced her to one syllable with his casual announcement. “What did you tell him?”

“That I’d think about it.”

He seemed so calm while she was shaking on the inside. She hated that any kind of relationship between them could only happen if one of them left the SGC. “I’d never ask you—”

“I know,” he interrupted. “And you don’t have to now. I just thought you should know.”

It sounded almost too good to be true, like she was going to have her cake and get to eat it too. And then she wondered when she’d become so cynical. Jack had never lied to her and had always been there for her—no matter what.

He looked like he didn’t care what she thought, his expression carefully neutral, but the hand toying restlessly with his knife gave him away. She loved him and for whatever reason, he was going to give them the chance they needed. Sam reached across the table and carefully placed her hand over his, stilling his movements. “I think those circumstances suit me perfectly.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The open sign had long been shut off and the staff was busy cleaning and preparing for the next day by the time they left the restaurant and made their way across the empty parking lot to his truck, the solitary vehicle remaining. Jack couldn’t remember the last time he’d just enjoyed being in Sam’s company, especially during the last year. He hated to see the evening end, even with the promise of ‘changed circumstances’ in their future. He grinned suddenly at the thought—their future.

“What is it?” she asked, as he opened the passenger door.

“Oh, nothing,” he said.

She gave him a look that said she didn’t quite believe him, but also said she was content for the moment. They drove in companionable silence to her house and as soon as he shut the ignition off, he jumped out of the truck and made it to her door before she could get out. She looked surprised, but pleased, when he took her arm and they walked slowly up the drive to her porch. 

The late spring night was cool and crisp, the stars shining brightly against the glow of the streetlights; Sam was warm against his side and in the soft light spilling onto her porch, she had never looked more beautiful. It had been a long time since he’d walked his date to her front door and for one excruciatingly painful moment as they stood looking at each other poised in front of the door, he thought she was going to offer him the ‘had a nice evening’ platitude and shake his hand.

And she did murmur, “I had a wonderful time, Jack.” However at the same time one hand glided up his chest, her fingers moving in a fleeting caress along his throat before finally cupping his cheek. He was afraid to even move, waiting with bated breath for the first tentative brush of her lips against his, the moment sweeter than any he could remember. And then his arms were around her, their mouths melded together in a kiss that he never wanted to end. 

“Do you want to come in for some coffee?” she eventually murmured, her breath warm against his cheek.

His arms tightened around her and he nuzzled her hair, taking a deep breath while struggling to calm himself. “If I come in,” he finally managed to say, his voice rough, “it will be for more than coffee.”

Sam’s soft chuckle sounded just as ragged as he felt and he didn’t protest when her arms slowly relaxed around him and she moved out of his embrace. Her eyes were deep pools in the dim light, her lips curving in a tender smile. “I’ll give you a rain check then.”

Jack reached out and gently caressed her cheek, his thumb brushing lightly against her lips. “I’ll be here in the morning to collect.” At her raised eyebrow, he said, “You better get used to having me around.”

Her slim hand closed around his where it still rested on her cheek and she turned her head slightly, pressing a kiss to his palm. “Always.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Have a good trip?”

Helen looked up from the computer display on her desk and smiled at Will. “As good as a one day trip to Colorado Springs can be.”

“And how was Roland?”

“As vain and pompous as ever. I swear, Will, I wouldn’t put up with the man if he wasn’t absolutely brilliant.”

“But you’re glad he turned down the position to help rebuild the Tokyo Sanctuary, aren’t you?”

“Bloody right I am.” Hitting a command on her computer, she unplugged the flash drive and handed it to Will. “Here’s a copy of the data he gave me. He has access to some interesting genetic research.” 

“Human gene manipulation?”

“I’m not sure…it appears to be the basic formulation for some sort of retrovirus, but it bears watching. There’s a Scottish physician somewhere who seems to have an affinity for recombinant DNA.”

“I’ll get it to Henry.” Will pocketed the flash drive. “Did you meet anyone else? Or were you stuck with Roland the whole time?”

Helen sat back in her chair, a slow smile coming to her face. “Actually, I met a very interesting man when were trapped in a lift together.”

Will raised an eyebrow. “Do tell.”

“Yes, a General Jack O’Neill.” She paused for a moment, staring out the window. She wasn’t one to make snap judgments and while her encounters with the general had been brief, she was somewhat of an expert at reading people. And of course, she had done some digging of her own once she had returned home, stopping only when faced with security blockades she had no reason to access for other than her curiosity. “There was something about him, Will. I’d almost swear he has some sort of abnormal ability.”

“Trust you to be only interested in a man if he isn’t normal.”

Helen laughed, not at all offended by Will’s observation. “While he was quite handsome, I’d definitely say his interests lie elsewhere.”

“So he’s gay?”

“Lord no,” Helen chuckled. “Unquestionably heterosexual. But I will say that if the circumstances were different, I would definitely be tempted.”

“Sounds like quite a guy,” Will said, as he turned to leave.

“That he is,” Helen answered. And then added more softly as Will left, “And I hope Samantha Carter takes full advantage of her altered circumstances.”

THE END


End file.
